Nantong grows from light textile city to high-end manufacturing base

Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province has accelerated its transformation from a city of light textiles to a high-end manufacturing base over the past 10 years.

The textile industry has long been a pillar industry of Nantong. In 2021, the city was home to more than 1,000 textile enterprises above designated size and over 650,000 employees in the industry.

In recent years, the traditional industry has undergone upgrading and transformation.

For example, textile manufacturer Luolai Lifestyle Technology Co Ltd has been piloting intelligent manufacturing since 2015 by spending 30 million yuan ($4.18 million) on intelligent equipment and updated technologies, according to Yu Yin, manager of Luolai.

Yu added that these upgrades have helped the enterprise save 50 percent in labor costs and raise production capacity by 30 to 40 percent, and the enterprise is now constructing an intelligent industrial park covering an area of about 53 hectares.

From 2012 to 2021, the number of high-tech enterprises in the city increased from 390 to 2,370, and the city has formed an industrial system featuring shipbuilding, high-end textiles, and electronic information as pillar industries and intelligent manufacturing, new materials, new energy and new energy vehicles as key emerging industries.

Nantong-based AlphaESS, one of the world's leading solar battery energy storage solution and service providers, was established in 2012 by returnee Yuan Hongliang.

Over the past 10 years, AlphaESS has developed from an enterprise of three employees to one with businesses expanding to more than 80 countries and regions.